Once a year steam enthusiasts from accross the globe are invited to join in a week long steam festival of steam on a private narrow gauge railway at Sandstone Estates, South Africa. This years event was named "Stars of Sandstone", twenty four steam locomotives and a few diesels are on the farm.

The railway has a station named "Mooi hoek" which is the centre of the railway from there the railway extends east and west as well as to the sheds and storage sidings, going east there is a baloon at "Groot draai", going west the line goes over the summit at Pandora then drops down to a siding and the standard gauge (3' 6") siding, it then forms a huge baloon again through some spectacular scenery. A trip over the entire mainline covers a distance of 26 kilometers.

Restouration and maintenance is done by a full time staff, under the guidence of Lukas Nell

Visitors come from the States, UK, Whales Australia, France, Germany, Holland and more.

On the farm is also a huge collection of vintage tractors, implements and vintage vehicles of all kinds as well as military vehicles

A few pictures of my rescent visit can be viewed at this link http://www.flickr.com/ph.../sets/72157633457851862/

Sandstone website can be visited at http://www.sandstone-estates.com/index.php/home

Enjoy

Hannes